for show
idiom
1
: intended to be seen but not used or bought
We're not supposed to eat the fruit on the table. It's just for show.
2
disapproving
: done in order to gain the approval or favor of others
He says he enjoys classical music, but it's only for show.
Examples of for show in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While there can be some sincere outrage over Trump’s callous flip-flop in an election year, most of the feigned shock is for show.
—
Philip Elliott, TIME, 9 Apr. 2024
Everything 4Chan did was ultimately for show, and its representatives who appear in the movie, like the placid hippie Fuxnet or the angry Kitaner, have some regrets but aren’t exactly fountains of self-awareness.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024
For years, the volume — a 19th-century French treatise on the human soul — was brought out for show and tell, and sometimes, according to library lore, used to haze new employees.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
In the scene, a student in Melissa’s (Lisa Ann Walter) class brings Cooper to campus for show and tell.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024
Although the big displays were for show and not interactive, several tables allowed kids to get creative with their own Lego structures.
—Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024
His pledge for charity isn’t just for show Rubenstein is among the signees of The Giving Pledge, a campaign started by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to encourage the world’s wealthiest people to commit to donating at least half of their money to charity.
—Matt Weyrich, Baltimore Sun, 31 Jan. 2024
Critics say Russia’s elections are mostly just for show.
—Keir Simmons, NBC News, 14 Dec. 2023
But that meeting was simply for show, a fact clear to anyone watching.
—Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
Philip Elliott, TIME, 9 Apr. 2024
Everything 4Chan did was ultimately for show, and its representatives who appear in the movie, like the placid hippie Fuxnet or the angry Kitaner, have some regrets but aren’t exactly fountains of self-awareness.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024
For years, the volume — a 19th-century French treatise on the human soul — was brought out for show and tell, and sometimes, according to library lore, used to haze new employees.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
In the scene, a student in Melissa’s (Lisa Ann Walter) class brings Cooper to campus for show and tell.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024
Although the big displays were for show and not interactive, several tables allowed kids to get creative with their own Lego structures.
—Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024
His pledge for charity isn’t just for show Rubenstein is among the signees of The Giving Pledge, a campaign started by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to encourage the world’s wealthiest people to commit to donating at least half of their money to charity.
—Matt Weyrich, Baltimore Sun, 31 Jan. 2024
Critics say Russia’s elections are mostly just for show.
—Keir Simmons, NBC News, 14 Dec. 2023
But that meeting was simply for show, a fact clear to anyone watching.
—Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'for show.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near for show
Cite this Entry
“For show.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/for%20show. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share